Hello friends! Another slooow week on the blog. Kenny and I have been consumed with new house stuff (what’s new, right!?). We have been finalizing so many things. I’m such a mix of excited and exhausted which pretty much sums up the way I’ve felt ever since we started this building roller coaster. I still have some sketches I have to go through tonight before another meeting tomorrow so this will be quick, but I wanted to pop in and say hello and share a few of the decisions we’ve been making this week.
Some good news is that we are almost done picking out kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Hooray! I went through and changed half of what I had picked out earlier and now I feel better about fixtures. The bad news is that my “hey let’s remake decisions we’ve already made and change things up again” attitude is happening more and more and Kenny is seriously about to kill me. My poor husband. I know I’m driving him crazy but I can’t help it. I just feel like this is my one chance to do this and I have to do it right! I keep reminding him that after this house is built he will remember why he loves me. Ok… after the house is decorated. Then he will remember. :)
More good news – we’ve ordered my farmhouse sinks! Let’s all just hold our breath and have a moment of silence for the beauty that is the farmhouse sink.
Ahhhhhh. Breathe out. K. Now we can continue. My love for them is indescribable. Whenever I see pictures of farmhouse sinks my heart starts to race much like it does when I see pictures of dutch doors. Do any of you share my passion? I know I’m not alone. :) I ordered the sink in the picture above for my food-prep island and a double farmhouse sink for in front of my kitchen window. I gave Kenny my sweetest smile and managed to talk him into getting one more for my downstairs laundry room. Quite a surprise since he was already about to kill me at that point. Good to know that after 15 years my “sugary sweet please can I have something” smile still does the job. I tried to pull off one more for the upstairs laundry room and that is where Kenny drew the line and my smile lost all its magic. That’s ok. I really would have been over the moon with just one so to say I am flying high about my sinks right now is a serious understatement.
I have been ironing out lots of kitchen cabinet details this week and I’m so excited about the organization that will be taking place in my kitchen everyday! I’ll share more of those details at some point. Right now we need to order our kitchen appliances and I am so torn. We have decided to go with Thermador and we were going to just get the cook top and do cabinets below like the picture above (with ovens on another wall). Now I’m debating the full oven again…
This is what we would get if we decide to go with the full oven. It might make more sense to do this because of some issues with the way I want my cabinets. I love the look of this oven, but also love the cooktop because then I can use the drawers below for pot/pan storage. Any opinions on a cook top vs. a full oven? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Want to see something really beautiful?
This is Thermador’s top of the line 48 inch Professional series oven. When we very first started looking at appliances I walked into the store, marched right over to it and said “I want this one!” Then the sales man said “that’s the most expensive oven made” and then Kenny said “of course it is” and then I said “ok – never mind.” :) The sales man said “this has an exclusive built-in steamer, a titanium griddle and grill, a large capacity convection oven, and a top of the line warming drawer. Then I smiled and said “I just wanted it for that cool white vintage looking dial on the front.” Then Kenny rolled his eyes (in that oh so familiar way) and said to the salesman “this is what I’m dealing with.”
And that pretty much sums up the way most of our house discussions have gone thus far. :)
Ok – I’m off to look at my sketches. Lots to post next week when more of these decisions and meetings are behind us. We are finishing up windows Friday (I swear – windows are going to be the death of me!) and then I think house meetings will slow down for a few weeks.
Enjoy your day everyone!
P.S. I found this picture on Pinterest last week (couldn’t find the correct source) —
and it made me SO excited to decorate my new house for the holidays! Is anyone else getting excited for Christmas!? It’s a bit early, but I can’t help it. I’m counting down to November when I can start celebrating. It will be here before we know it!
xoxo, Erin
I really don’t know much about ovens. I rarely use mine. I have always wanted a cook top though. I like that everything is built in. I am sure had I went with a cook top. I would probably want a regular oven. Love the one you picked out. (I think the white vintage button is cool too. ;)) Are you going with the while hood? I really love it. Can’t wait to see what you choose.
I really prefer a cooktop! Then the rest separately… I think the sight is cleaner, like on your pic ;)
I don’t usually comment because english is not my mother language (I’m spanish) but I really LOVE your blog!! =)
xoxo
You cant go wrong with either option. The oven on the wall would be nice for not having to bend over to put a heavy turkey etc in the oven, instead yiu would just reach across and put into oven. But the cook top might be a huge problem if it ever breaks down, so a oven/stove feels more practical in that sense. Tough decison! Did I read right? Are you moving in Nov. ?
SO excited for Christmas! We just moved across the country into a pretty Victorian-style home and I’m already shopping for holiday window decor!
I love my cook top with all that pan storage underneath, but I think I would pick the regular oven! It’s BEAUTIFUL!
LOVE your sinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Thursday!!! xo
I have a separate stove top and oven and I LOVE IT! My pots and pans live under my stovetop and my baking sheets etc live under my oven. I built my oven up high to save my back when taking out big casseroles or turkeys. It’s great! I love watching your progress – can’t wait to see as it’s coming together!
Did I just read that correctly? You are going to have an upstairs and downstairs laundry room? Swoon! Your house is going to be so beautiful.
I would go for the wall oven mostly because I don’t have that now and would like to have it.
I love farmhouse sinks, too. If we build again, I am definitely going to add one of those.
I’m looking forward to the holidays, too!
I’m so excited for Christmas that I’ve already ordered (and received) my Christmas cards!
I have the 1960’s version of the full size stove you pictured in my kitchen. It came with the house obviously. I thought its size was silly at first and now it’s the thing I love most about my kitchen. Love. I love the generous room on top. Love the oven and mini oven below. Yes, you can cook things on a completely seperate temperature while roasting meat in the main oven.
As far as where your ovens should be, I’m a lover of practicality. Appliances should be kept close together so you can easily check on everything without wandering all over the kitchen. But then I cook a lot and bake a lot. Most folks just like to entertain. It’s all about what you’re going to use it most for.
I HAD to laugh at this post. Girl, HOW DO YOU COOK POP TARTS AND STRING CHEESE??? Ha HA! I remember several posts where you talked about not cooking…I remember them because I can relate. And I LOVED when you said you wanted the stove for the retro knob on the front!! LOVE IT!
Three Farmhouse sinks?! Heaven…I love them too! So exciting. Keep posting. LOVING this!
Please address the fact that you’re going to have TWO laundry rooms! I’m in awe!
I have loved farmhouse sinks for a long time! I’d love to add one to my kitchen sometime!
Thanks Cathy! Yes – going with a white hood to match the cabinets.
Alba – thank you for the sweet comment! It’s nice to “meet” you. :)
Anonymous – no – I wish we were moving this November! The house will take a year to build so we are moving next summer. I’m just excited for November (this year in the old house AND next year in the new house!). :)
YEA! Jennifer! Thank you. I’m so excited about the sinks too!
Kristen – yes – we have an upstairs and downstairs laundry room. That was one of my first priorities! All the kids’ rooms are upstairs so I really wanted a laundry room for their stuff. Now I just need to teach them to do their own laundry!
Nonny – HA! You made me laugh. :)
Thanks for the sweet comments everyone! SO fun to read. :)
Love the sink choice! I have a wall oven & stove top, My stove top is in my island & If I could redo my kitchen I would not have my stovetop in my island/ Id rather have a island w/ just a small sink.
Cant wait to see your house come together :) So exciting!
Cooktop! Cooktop! Cooktop! Double ovens in the wall! :)
I have a separate cooktop and oven. This is the one thing on my list that was NOT negotiable!!! I grew up with them separate so maybe that is why who knows. Once we decided to build it was something I told our builder in our first meeting…poor guy probably should’ve been his first clue to run from me! My husband didn’t have a preference so it was an easy choice. I like the convenience of the ove being higher….don’t have to bend over, no little bitty hands can reach the door, etc. I also love love love my pots being so close to my cooktop (storage underneath). So for p us it was a no brained and I’ll never have a house any other way! It’s a must have in my book
hi erin – just throwing my 2 cents in :) cooktop and wall ovens/microwave are the BEST. this is the first house we’ve lived in with this configuration and i will never go back!! i love storing pots & pans under the cooktop and baking sheets, cooling racks, etc under the oven. and having the oven at eye level is awesome. (love your blog!)
Oh my word…2 laundry rooms??? This house is going to be amazing and I LOVE hearing all about it…I just wonder when we will make it out to SD again so I can see it in person! It sounds gorgeous and amazing! You are very blessed and I know Kenny has worked very hard for this!
LOVE me a farmhouse sink..yes please!! the same..i sometimes wondered if I was weird getting giddy about a farmhouse sink..and those taps! but no..thank you..I am not the only one! Congrats..love watching the process..and the choices are so nice!
Your new house is going to be gorgeous!! Can’t wait to see :)
Thank you so much for all of the advice everyone! We have been debating and measuring all day today and are leaning towards the double ovens on the wall and the cooktop. I have wise readers!! :)
I’m thinking you should go for the one that has storage underneath and have a separate oven. That way your mom won’t have to bend over when she is cooking your Thanksgiving dinner;)
Xoxo
Go with the cook top! I promise you will love it! I LOVE mine! It is SO nice to have drawers underneath for the pots and pans! My two drawers are huge with plenty of room, I can fit all of my regular/most used pans in just the top one and my big stock pot is in the bottom with room to spare! Trust me on this one Erin, plus with as much as you love to cook you definitely don’t need the most expensive stove they make. Even if the dial is cute. :) And you will also love having the double ovens in the wall, really, I love mine. Your mom will love it too when she comes to visit and it gets used. :) Love those farmhouse sinks, they really are so cute! Can’t believe you are getting 3 of them!
Erin, I have a feeling your going to be cooking a lot in that kitchen, you would be crazy not too! If you need ideas for good recipes, maybe ask your blog friends to submit a favorite recipe, this way we all could share and spice up our own menu list.
Cooktop with drawers and wall ovens! I have Thermador and it’s the best!
We have a cook top and separate oven. At first I didn’t like it. But now I realize that with kids, separate is better. They can’t reach the oven on the wall, which keeps them from opening it and burning themselves!
Thanks for the tips everyone!
Anonymous – so happy to hear you like Thermador!
Shari and Josie – LOVED your comments. You two know me best. :)
Cooktop and wall oven for sure. My mother in law has the Viking combo and the oven door is heavier than I ever imagined. And bending over to pull out a roast in a heavy roasting pan is no picnic either. After using hers I will never do anything but the wall oven, that door is just too heavy!
Kate
Oh how I adore your blog! Such great organization tips and lovely home inspiration. I’ve been reading along awhile now but my 5 week old has kept me a little too busy for commenting;)
Looks like you’re going with a shaws sink-love! You have no idea how many people told me I’d hate not having a divider-wrong! My favorite part of the kitchen.. I have even bathed both my babes in it. If my memory serves me correctly you can choose between a flat front or one that’s sort of ridged.. Can’t wait to see what you decide. And I can’t believe I just typed a paragraph about a SINK, but it’s a fabulous sink, right?
I’m lusting over your thermador also. I’d have to say I’d go with the cooktop and wall ovens, but my mil has a commercial style range and hasn’t ever complained about lifting things out of the oven-and she prepares a big turkey let me tell you.
And 2 laundry rooms? Swoon.
Ok, I’m off to blogstalk and see other details you’ve given us about the new house..ahem.. Floor plan.
We went with a cooktop and drawers below and I couldn’t be happier!!! Love the way it looks and my pots and pans fit perfectly!
The only thing I would do differently, is choose 6 burners instead of 4 with a griddle in the middle. We used it once! It was a pain to clean, and it now looks ugly and “seasoned”, so I had to buy a $90 cover for it! LOL! :)
Good advice and sweet comments! Thank you so much Kate, Jen and Rachel! I’m taking your advice and going with the cooktop and wall ovens! :)